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poll: best powerful light weight combo

best powerful light weight combo !!!

  • EBS drome 12 150w

    Votes: 32 16.9%

  • eden2x10coaxial tweeter 300w

    Votes: 27 14.3%

  • eden nemesis NC-112+tweeter 225w

    Votes: 10 5.3%

  • eden nemesis NC-210P+tweeter 225w

    Votes: 37 19.6%

  • asdown MAG 2x10" 200w

    Votes: 17 9.0%

  • asdown elctric blue 12 130w

    Votes: 16 8.5%

  • gallien-krueger MB150s-112 microbass 150w

    Votes: 45 23.8%

  • gallien-krueger MB150e-112 microbass with chorus

    Votes: 25 13.2%

  • genz-benz ML200-210T 200w

    Votes: 14 7.4%

  • genz-benz ML200-112T+tweeter 200w

    Votes: 12 6.3%

  • hartke kickback 12 120w

    Votes: 15 7.9%

  • hartke contour 15 140w

    Votes: 15 7.9%

  • roland DB500 160w

    Votes: 18 9.5%

  • trace elliot 712 SMC 130w

    Votes: 14 7.4%

  • warwick CL-4 12"+horn 150w

    Votes: 18 9.5%
  • Total voters
    189
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#42
I was highly impressed by a friend's GK MB150-e. It was pretty good on it's own but really took off when the extension cab was added (I think the output jumps from 100W to 150W and you've now got twice the surface area of speaker cone to pump out the sound). The sound was really punchy - I tried my most agressive slapping on it and the cones hardly seemed to move.

I almost went for one of these (with extension cab) when trading up my SWR Workingman's 12" (itself a great amp, IMHO, but not quite up to a new set of playing situations) a few months ago - the WM is no great weight but the paired GK combo and ext. cab were still lighter and more portable while producing more volume).

In the end I opted for an Ashdown Mag-250 head and mini 1x15 cab which still works out pretty small but gave me a great sound and more volume than the GK for less money. However, if handheld portability had been a more important and volume and future flexibility less so, it was THE contender :cool:

I didn't try the chorus out, so can't really comment on the difference between the two GK MB150 combos available, but if small size / weight is important and price / volume are not such an issue definitely check them out.

Wulf
 
#45
played a friend's ampeg b115? 100 watter. it was ok, but sounded harsh. got a swr wm 12 for $499us, it works great and sounds smooth (being preamped by an alembic f1x, that is). i play with an electric guitarist and drummer, they all hear it just fine. doesn't seem any less loud than the 500w carvin it replaced
 
#50
I've been working over a Nemesis 200 CP pretty hard, (200 watts,2x10, tweet, front port). I got it in trade for a BBE pre/Crown Power AMp setup 4 or 5 months ago. It's a pretty cool amp for such a small light weight package. Does a credible 'B' as long as the 'aural exciter thingy' isn't decked! The compressor is useless for the most part - but then I have never met a built in compressor worth turning on and I have a rack full of good outboard stuff. The EQ is well voiced for the cab. The semi-parametric mid is functional. I love the speaker off switch! I use the Direct Out as a feed to my Tascam when recording a lot. It does get pretty loud on it's own though.

One of the comments above mentioned something like 'sterile and un-interesting'. I don't feel that way at all about it tonally. I did have to spend a bit of time with it to bond with it though. I can get a nice full, round with a bit of chime out of it pretty easily with my J's and what comes off hte DI is a lot like what is coming out of the cab, so the cab isn't adding huge coloration.

I'm am in no way a distortion guy. If I need some, I have other ways to get there. I don't think the Nemesis wants to grind that way. You can get a nice warm mid rangey sound, but you do it using the 'arual exciter thingy' (best I look at the knob label one day ...) and the parametric mid control - or do it outboard ...

When I sit down and first an amp up to play and I'm going to listen to it, not just through the phones ... more often than not, it's an old Fender bassman with 15" JBL or the Hartke 3500 into whichever cab is available. The DI on the Hartke is quiet as well. I also don't use the compressor on the Hartke. I use the EQ and coutour a lot. Not a combo, but in my setup, it is going to make the cut where the combo probably won't.

Based on short test drives - not the best way to evaluate amps ...
The SWR Workingman's 15 - didn't think much of that one. It was loud but tonally challenged in my view.

Liked the GK 400 2x10 combo Tonally GK's (at least the 400/700/800 line) are kid of a one trick pony. It's the GK sound. I happen to like that sound (also have a GK 400 head in my arsenal) I just don't need it often and the 3500 will go there with the right cab. In GK's defense - mine has been just an incredibly strong amp. I have absolutely no right to expect the lights to go on when I fire it up based on it's age and the amount of use it has had. But it still does ... from a reliability stand point a real champ! If I had to have a combo and I was playing funk or rock all the time, I'd be looking at one of the upper end GK's - no question.

The Nemesis will probably go on the block pretty soon. Even though it is a decent amp, basically it's a recording pre-amp for me masquerading as a second rig.
 
#53
The ashdown electric blue combos fail to meet standards. I've been on the same search as you, looking for an amp for my wife. The e blues have decent amount of volume for the price, under $500, but the lack any kind of tone. It might be a different story if you add a preamp, but alone it sounds very dry. I think I'm going for the euphonic audio 200 wizzy. I't seems to have the volume, sound, flexability. You can add a powered cab if it's not loud enough as a stand alone. But for a 1x12 $900. Thats married life brother.
 
#54
The EBS drome really does it for me. It's pretty light at 37lbs. Sounds awesome, I've used it for practice, for small gigs in town, it was on the road this year for 20 weeks in a musical, it's got CD inputs for practicing, sounds decent with the upright, I looked for a long time. I also liked the Euphonic Audio, but 60 lbs was a little much for me to consider as a small amp for New York City. I actually used it on a Funk gig last weekend in a Small/Med club and turned it up a bit, and I liked it even more than I used to. It's a hard comparison, as you could buy 2 hartkes for the price, or about 2/3rds of an iamp, but the volume, tone, portability, reliability combination really does it for me. Peace.
 
#55
I have the GK150E and I had the Roland DB500. I can say that the GK beats the Roland as far as tone but as far as loud the the Roland has it. I couldn't believe how loud it could get without burping. I traded it in last year because I couldn't stand the noise which was constant from the tweeter. The GK can't be beat at only 24lbs, pretty loud and great tone. I use it for practice and small gigs. I use a EdenWT550/BagEnd SD15/EA setup for my regular gigs.
 
#56
I have been using a Nemesis NC210P for four years. I had it modified at the factory for dual 110/240 volt.

I have been very happy with this amp. I have been playing for over 30 years and have owned Ampeg, Fender, Acoustic, Sunn, Peavey, SWR. I bought this amp cold, without trying it, based solely on the reviews in Bass Player, Harmony Central, and BGRA. I was living in the Middle East at the time and didn't have access to a well equiped music store. Not my preferred way to go, but I was joining a band and needed something on very quick notice. The criteria I had in mind was:
-minimum 200 watts
-I always liked the sound of 2-10's
-light weight. I lost interest in moving Ampeg 2-15's, Acoustic 301's, 4'10's etc.
-Useful features (line out, pre in/out, tuner out, DI out, speaker on/off)
- under $1,000

I have been very pleased with this amp. I like the voicing of it and it satisfied my search criteria.

I run it flat. The only tone control I change is the parametric EQ dependant on the room I'm playing in. I run a Sadowsky Outboard preamp between my basses and the amp and the combination sounds great. When the amp is pushed, I get a really nice growl from it. In fact, it sounds better than the SABDDI that I bought last year and sold last month.

I currently play in a three piece with a guitarist using a Soldano head and two Marshall 1-12 bottoms. The drummer is loud. There was only one gig where I could have pushed more air and the front of house didn't offer enough bottom ooommmfffff. Next time we do that room, I'll rent a bigger system. Other than that, the amp is fine. I have used it for a number of quiet jazz gigs as well.

In the four years I have owned the amp, I have never really needed anything bigger. I'm not a big fan of loud stage volume, despite playing predominantly classic rock/blues. The amp did shut down on me twice three years ago. Both times were outdoor gigs in the desert and the outside temperature was very high. I was running the amp quite loud and the thermal protection system kicked in. Both times, the amp started up again just fine, as stated in the owners manual. No damage done.

I had a stand built for the amp that also doubles as an equipment case. The stand is 6 inches high at the back, and 8 inches high at the front, giving it some tilt so it isn't firing into the back of my legs.

This amp is made by Eden. They built good products. It's made right beside the Eden production lines. It's lighter than similar Eden combos. The amp, amp stand, mic stand, trolly and gig bag fit comfortably in the trunk of my 320i. I can put everything on my trolly for one trip into a gig. I can get a great sound out of it and enough volume for small gigs, enough stage volume for bigger gigs when running through a front of house.

The only valid reason I would have for changing it is to satisfy GAS.
 
#57
So, I spent the week before Christmas in Florida, now I'm on this Jaco kick, getting out recording and old mag.s he's in. ... So I'm flipping through the Jan/Feb 1991 issue of Bass Player, which has "who else" on the cover(Jaco for you who don't own it), and low and behold there is a review of a Gallien Krueger 1200CEB, which I don't remember ever coming across. It's the same as the MB150S combo but with a 15" EV speaker and 200 watts(@ 4ohms) when linked with another speaker. Weight 55 lbs. Now I know GK makes similar newer models, but, I'm curious if these babies ever caught on as well as their 12" cousin.
Later
Question: How many bass players does it take to screw in a light blub?
Answer: "O'yea".
 
#58
Originally posted by chadds
This sweet little amp is not operating at 300 watts but 150 until you add an extension cabinet.
Click to expand...

I was researching into buying a new combo as well and did some research on Ashdowns. I almost bought the EB 150 210 till thier CS (Martin Burrows) told me that it only runs at 100 watts as a standalone and you have to add the extension cab for the full 150 watts. Pretty sneaky advertising if you ask me. Why not just call it the EB 100 210? I'm sure Ashdown is a great amp, lots of good reviews on it but I am very weary of them now.

Anyways I canceled my EB 100 210 order and picked up the Fender Bassman 400 pro instead. I'm a very happy camper :)
 
#59
38 lbs., two 12-inchers, 500w, and great tonal quality/flexibiity. I will be using it for 100 gigs this year, and am shaking all venues at just half volume. I love this amp, and even the roady (my 124 lb. bride) easily carries it around with one arm. You can get even smaller and lighter (by 4 lbs.) with the MB115.
 
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